


white arms under the moonlight

by lunardistance



Category: Sound Horizon
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-10 00:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunardistance/pseuds/lunardistance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>there is something entrancing about the blind priestess and the man that claims to be her brother, but leontius can't quite pick out what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	white arms under the moonlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amaterasu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaterasu/gifts).



> written as a secret valentine present for **amaterasu** ; reposted here for safekeeping.

                Artemisia, she had given her name as.

                It was one of the few things she had said after her rescue, moments before she would have been sacrificed to the Water God. Unlike the Laconian soldiers, Leontius and his men had qualms about intruding on divine territory, but human sacrifice was never tolerated under the current rule, especially that of an innocent. If his troop hadn't been hot on the trail of the section of the Laconian army lead by his half-brother, Scorpius, they might have arrived at nothing but a corpse floating on the sacrificial pool of Hydra's temple.

                As things had turned out, one of the Laconian scouts had spotted them from afar, thus ruining their intended surprise attack. However, their arrival was enough to deter them from continuing the ritual – although the Laconians had intended on making off with the maiden, a wave of his thunder spear had scared her captors into leaving her behind. He had ordered a group of his men to follow the retreating Laconians for a distance, but he himself had opted to stay behind and ensure the security of the would-be sacrifice.

                "Are you alright?" he had asked, removing his cape to drape it around her shoulders. "Were you hurt by them?"

               She seemed to startle just the slightest at the sensation of cloth being put around her, although she calmed quickly. "I believe so. They pulled me roughly, but I was not injured grievously."

                Her hand rubbed over a pale wrist tentatively, and in the moonlight, Leontius could see the bruises that had formed around them. However, her gaze remained straightforward – only when he stepped closer and saw their slightly unfocused quality had he realized she was blind.

                "What is your name?" he asked in a hushed whisper, unable to look away from her eyes.

                She lifted her chin steadily, and for a brief moment, Leontius felt as if her eyes were piercing through him. (But she cannot see—)

                "Artemisia. My name is Artemisia."

\---

                Though they had been forced to camp out the first night, a day of hard travel had brought them safely out of Laconian territory and back into Arcadian lands. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon passing the borders and they had continued at a more leisurely place to the nearest village, which was more than happy to provide lodgings for their beloved Prince and his troop. Leontius had not been blind to the curious gazes shot at the lone female in their party, but his status was suffice to ensure that no rumors were thrown about in their presence.

                After their first proper meal of the day, Leontius finally saw it fit to inquire more about the woman's identity. She refrained from answering right away, sitting in a pensive silence that he could not bring himself to break. Finally, she shared her story: that she was, in fact, the priestess of the Star Goddess, famed among the Hellenes for her ability to read the future in the stars. The Laconian troops had intruded on the temple one night, originally intending on abducting another priestess until Artemisia had volunteered herself in the woman's place.

                "You willingly offered yourself up as a substitute?" one of the younger soldiers couldn't help himself from asking. Leontius shot him a small look for his lack of restraint around a woman, but did not berate him otherwise – he was curious, too.

                "It was Moira's will." Her answer came soft, but firm, and there was a silent pause around the table as the gravity of her words sunk in.

                "So, can you tell _my_ fortune?" another young soldier asked eagerly.

                This time, Leontius did not have to take the initiative as a few of the other soldiers cuffed him around the head for his impudence.

                "Retire for the night. We move out at dawn on the morrow," he commanded sternly, eyeing his men until all of them had filed off to their respective rooms before turning to Artemisia. "Please forgive them. They are rowdy, but they are good men."

                To his surprise, Artemisia's lips were lifted into a faint smile, the first that he had seen on her face. "It is alright. Requests such as those are often made at the temple."

                "People are inevitably curious about their futures, after all," he acknowledged. "It must be both a bane and a boon to be able to read them, especially your own."

                "Indeed," she nodded, and the two of them fell into silence once more. Leontius lingered at the table, wondering if he should offer to escort her back to her own room now, until she spoke up again.

                "You must forgive me as well. I don't believe I've extended my thanks to you and your men for rescuing me yesterday, so please let me offer my gratitude."

                Leontius let out the breath he was unconsciously holding, returning the smile she directed at him. "You are welcome."

\---

                The rest of the journey back to the center of the Arcadian Kingdom was taken with less urgency compared to the first day, but it would still take them at least three days to reach the main city. Because of her condition, Artemisia also needed to stay with a capable rider, and Leontius found himself volunteering – his war stallion could easily carry them both without slowing the rest of the riders down. She was initially apologetic about it, but Leontius insisted that it was no problem. He was also best equipped to keep an eye on her and protect her should the need arise.

                Not to mention that he didn't really mind the added weight against him as they rode, her softer body tucked under the protective hunch of his.

                They'd settled down at lunch that day near the coast, and after ensuring that Artemisia was well-preoccupied—some children from a nearby fishing village had come to offer them food in tribute, and had taken great interest in playing with the blind priestess—Leontius unfurled his maps, perusing them for the fastest way to the main city. It wasn't long before he heard shouts coming from a distance.

                "Your Highness!"

                Leontius frowned, lifting his head from his work to regard the young soldier that had approached him at a sprint. "Speak, Astyanax."

                "Your Highness," Astyanax panted between efforts to catch his breath, "there is a man who looks like the Lady Artemisia. He claims to be her brother, and demands to see her."

                "Her brother?" Leontius echoed, eyes drifting over to where Artemisia was surrounded by small children. "Where is he?"

                "He is with—" Astyanax's explanation is cut off by a furious scream.

                "Misia! Misia!"

                Artemisia paused at the sound, turning her head in the direction of the yelling. Soon enough, a man emerged into view, closely pursued by some soldiers. If it weren't for the harsher features and the frantic expression on his face, Leontius would have sworn that the man was an exact copy of the priestess.

                For a brief moment, the man's gaze met his, and he met the full brunt of that burning amethyst stare – his eyes were exactly like Artemisia's. The gaze was quickly broken, however, as the man's eyes landed on the woman a short distance away. With a choked gasp, he ran towards Artemisia, who lifted her arms to welcome the stranger into her embrace.

                The man scooped up Artemisia into his arms, spinning her around twice before gathering her close and sobbing a broken rendition of her name into her hair. Artemisia clung tightly to him, fingers weaving into white and purple strands as she murmured the man's name over and over. Although she was the one rubbing her hand over the man's back in comfort, both their cheeks were wet with tears.

                His men had long turned back upon seeing that the newcomer was not aiming to do harm to the priestess, allowing the two their privacy. Leontius knew he needed to do the same, that it was only right, but somehow he could not tear his eyes away.

\---

                "If it would not be too troublesome, Your Highness," Artemisia spoke up from her place at the table directly across Leontius that night, "I would like to excuse myself from the party here on."

                Leontius felt his mouth go dry, but forced himself to swallow before speaking. "For what purpose, if I may ask?"

                "If my knowledge of Arcadian territory is accurate, we should soon be approaching a crossroads – one leading to the citadel while the other to the port city. Although I am grateful for all that you have done for me so far, I feel that I must return home immediately."

                He chewed his food slowly, considering the idea. "For the sake of my conscience, I cannot allow you to travel on your own."

                "I'm going with her," piped up Artemisia's brother – Elefseus, he had been introduced as. There was an unspoken "of course" at the end of his words, although by the way he regarded Leontius with no small amount of disbelief (royalty be damned), there was no real need to say it out loud.

                "Then I shall escort you." His own words took him by surprise, tumbling out of his mouth before his mind had fully comprehended the thought. The rest of the table was similarly taken aback, with perhaps the singular exception of Artemisia, who only bowed her head.

                "Your Highness?" Zosma asked cautiously, eyes trained on the prince.

                "It is my personal mission to ensure Lady Artemisia's safety. We cannot ensure that the Laconian troops will not intercept their journey and attempt to repeat the ritual—" Elefseus growled protectively at the mention of that incident, circling an arm protectively around his sister's shoulders, "—and I have need of the wise woman's counsel. Dangers are afoot, and her knowledge would be a crucial advantage."

                The explanation seemed to be drawn out of him more than anything of his own preparations. Although their faces still spoke of misgivings, his answer seemed to satisfy the rest, and Zosma nodded in acknowledgement of the prince's decision. "Still, you must take some men with you, Your Highness."

                "I shall select five men to travel with us tomorrow. Zosma, lead the rest of the group back to the kingdom and inform them of the events that have transpired, as well as my decision."

                "Yes, Your Highness," Zosma saluted, and headed off to inform the men of the change in plans.

                Elefseus snorted from his place beside Artemisia. "I can protect Misia on my own just fine, Prince," he declared, training that burning amethyst gaze on him again.

                "I am certain of your skills and determination, Sir Elefseus, but our accompaniment should hopefully secure better traveling arrangements for you and your sister. The safer you both return to Lesbos, the better," Leontius poured every inch of diplomacy he had learned into his reply. It was rather like taming a wild beast – returning the gaze respectfully but not directly and speaking in low, calm tones until the beast decided you were not a threat.

                Elefseus grunted, finally looking away and pretending not to notice the reproachful hand Artemisia laid on his arm.

                "Thank you for your offer, Your Highness," Artemisia nodded, the same faint smile touching her lips again.

                "It is my honor to do so," he replied truthfully.

                Elefseus stared at him awhile, but said nothing.

\---

                The two groups separated at the crossroads the following morning, the larger group headed by Zosma taking the road towards the capital while the smaller group continued on towards the port city. With Elefseus around, it was no longer a necessity for Artemisia to ride with him, and although it was relatively easier to ride without the added compromise of another person, Leontius found himself missing Artemisia's form leaning against him.

                The twins seemed to be in high spirits, however, and for that Leontius could not begrudge them at all. Elefseus showed none of the sternness that he had displayed to the other men, and Artemisia talked and smiled and laughed more than he had seen her in the past few days.

                As far as he had heard the story, the two were separated when they were small children and had been searching for traces of each other ever since. Elefseus had rushed to Laconia upon hearing of Artemisia's intended fate from the women of Lesbos, but because of a passing storm, had only been able to land on Arcadian shores. On his way to Laconia, he had heard of rumors of a blind priestess traveling with the country's prince, and had searched their group out in hopes of finding his lost sister.

                Upon hearing the story, Leontius had praised the strokes of fate for bringing them back together so wonderfully. Elefseus had made a face at the mention of Moira, but Artemisia had quietly seconded Leontius' exaltations, and the man had gruffly murmured his own agreement.

                It was clear to all that the siblings were jubilant to be reunited – every waking moment was spent almost entirely together, and when they slept their arms were entwined firmly, as if terrified that the other would be torn away while they rested.

                It was a beautiful reunion, but somehow Leontius could not deny feeling envious of them. Perhaps it was his own lack of close sibling relations or generally anyone to be that close to, or even the simple feeling of being an outsider looking in. Whatever it was, it made it somewhat painful to regard their closeness, their sheer happiness for very long. He found himself both longing for and dreading their arrival at Lesbos, unsure if he truly wanted to see them off.

                And yet he could never bring himself to look away. Something about them was too captivating, so alluring to behold.

\---

                They made it to the port city by nightfall, and managed to secure lodgings for themselves at the town's finest house, renting out three separate rooms: Leontius shared his with two of his men, the rest of the soldiers in another, and the twins in their own.

                After a hearty dinner, they all retired quickly in preparation for the long journey, save for two of Leontius' men who went out to negotiate the traveling arrangements for the next day. The three remaining soldiers opted to keep watch until the other two returned, leaving Leontius alone in his room.

                Despite his own assurances that he would strive for a full night's rest, Leontius found himself pacing the floor instead. The bed seemed too hot to lie on, and no matter how hard he tried to slip off into the arms of Hypnos, sleep seemed to be evading him this night completely. His frustrations only seemed to climb higher the more he paced, until he finally resorted to digging through his packs for his maps.

                It was a sign of his agitated state that he did not realize the lack of a map of Lesbos until he had gone through all his maps thrice. Perhaps that was why he was so unsettled, he reasoned – they were headed into unfamiliar territory, and although the island of Lesbos was famed for its peaceful settlements, it would be good to have some pre-existing knowledge of the land. And with no map at hand, there was no other way to learn about Lesbos but from the people who had been there.

                Of course, it might have been too much to hope that the twins were still awake – the continuous journey was challenging for him and his men who had trained their bodies for endurance, all the more for those who hadn't. Still, it was worth a try. If they turned out to be asleep, he would save his inquiries till the morning.

                The door to their room was unlatched and the sliver of candlelight streamed out from the gap in the doorway, so Leontius took that as an indication that the two were still awake. With a soft knock, he opened the door.

                The query on his lips died immediately at the sight of the two sharing one bed, Artemisia sprawled on top of Elefseus. Perhaps the scene wouldn't have been so damning if Elefseus' shirt hadn't been discarded to the floor and the strap of Artemisia's dress wasn't pulled over her shoulder enough to reveal a creamy breast, the peak of which had been clearly subject to the ministrations of Elefseus' mouth prior to his untimely entry.

                "I—" Leontius stammered, finding all eloquence he thought he possessed in his body to be lost to him in that instant. His feet stumbled back, hand groping blindly for the door. "My apologies, I did not mean to intru—"

                "Your Highness," Artemisia said softly, and his mouth closed with a snap. "Won't you join us?"

                "Misia, what in Hades are you doing?" Elefseus hissed, a hand rising to pull down the arm Artemisia had stretched out to Leontius.

                "Please?" Artemisia entreated, adjusting her position on top of Elefseus so that there was a clear space for him. "Stay with us."

                Leontius would never understand what made his hand lock the door behind him instead of pulling it open, what made him begin to disrobe instead of leaving as he should have. This was a woman he had known for a scant few days, the man even less, and they were already entwined with each other in what should have been a private affair between them before he had barged in. He had no right to intrude at all.

                But his envy of them rose to mind again; only perhaps it hadn't been purely envy at all. It may have been more of the desire to be with them, to be part of their fold and intimacy. And as he slid into the bed with them, Elefseus grudgingly moving over so that there was more room and Artemisia opening her arms to include him in her embrace, he felt as if he belonged there. Not as an outsider, but part of them.

                Artemisia's fingers slid over his jaw, her lips soon following in their wake. Leontius groaned, tilting his head down to capture her mouth fully with his and delighting at the yield of her lips under his tongue. Something nudged at his hands from where they were braced at Artemisia's shoulders, and he lifted them away obligingly. The contact of their lips was broken soon after as Artemisia lifted her arms, letting Elefseus pull the rest of her clothes over her head.

                The expanse of alabaster skin was beautiful to behold, the curves of Artemisia's body made more alluring by the play of candlelight on her skin. As Elefseus tilted his sister's head back to meet her in a kiss, Leontius dipped his head down to taste of her breasts, capturing the one Elefseus had not been tugging at with his mouth earlier. Her body arched against him, filling his mouth with more of her pale flesh, and he accepted what she was offering him so eagerly, hands smoothing along the dips of her waist to caress at her hips.

                Elefseus' hands bumped into his on their way down Artemisia's body, stroking gently at her thighs before urging her to part them slowly. He adjusted into the space between her legs, feeling himself straining against her hip but forcing himself to slow down upon feeling the nervous jerk of her body.

                "Shh, it's okay," he heard Elefseus mutter into her ear, calloused hands dipping closer to her core until his fingers finally brush over her slick womanhood. A loud moan escaped Artemisia's lips, hips flying up to jerk against the contact while her hands reach out blindly to grasp at Leontius' shoulders. He returned his lips to hers, quietly enjoying the sensation of her muffled whimpers against his mouth. Rough thumbs rubbed over the tips of her breasts in conjunction with the fingers gliding across the seam of her center before delving fully into her wetness.

                "Ah! P-please!" she gasped, tearing her mouth away from his to rock into the strokes of their hands. Her cheeks were flushed and ruddy, eyes hazy with desire. "I need—"

                There was no need for Artemisia to say any more. As if reaching the same conclusion, Leontius and Elefseus lifted her so that she was facing her brother again. Adjusting her arms so that they were hooked around Elefseus' shoulders, Leontius moved back as Elefseus positioned himself at her entrance. The man paused for a moment, dipping his head down to murmur a question of certainty into Artemisia's ear. At her resolute nod, Elefseus lifted her body slightly before sinking half of his length into her body.

                Artemisia gasped at the intrusion, limbs locking instinctively around Elefseus. Immediately, Leontius moved behind her, stroking a hand down her spine and muttering into her ear. "Relax, don't strain yourself."

                Over her shoulder, Elefseus shot him a faintly grateful smile, his hand joining Leontius' to stroke down her back. Leontius leaned down to press kisses against the column of Artemisia's throat, a hand snaking between the two siblings to caress at the strained muscles of her abdomen. Molding himself against the tenseness of her back, he reached down further to brush his thumb against the nub above her entrance, causing Artemisia to groan and rock her hips down further on Elefseus' manhood.

                Eventually, her soft sigh and the way Elefseus sank her down on the rest of him showed that she had adjusted enough to the intrusion in her body. Once again, Leontius rocked back on his heels, bringing his hand down to stroke at his own length while Elefseus and Artemisia began to set a slow pace. Greedily, he took in each sensory detail – the sounds of their soft groans filling the room and the sight of Artemisia's folds stretching around Elefseus as he thrust in and out of her were enough to fuel his arousal.

               "Oi, Prince, c'mere," Elefseus suddenly grunted, and Leontius looked up to meet the other man's gaze. Impatiently, Elefseus pulled him closer, and to Leontius' surprise, wrapped his hand around his length. The sensation of a foreign hand stroking at his manhood pulled an unbidden groan of satisfaction from Leontius' throat, and soon enough, a smaller hand joined the fray. Artemisia's hand circled the tip curiously, fingers swirling around the head while her thumb rubbed at the slit. On the other hand, Elefseus' touch was more brusque, pumping firmly around the shaft with more certainty than his sister. The combination of the two touches was almost too much, and he thumbed at Artemisia's nub desperately, fingers occasionally brushing at Elefseus' length as it pumped in and out in an attempt to give back some of the pleasure he was receiving.

                Their pace increased with their pleasure, the twins rocking furiously against each other and Leontius' hand while they continued their ministrations on his arousal. Elefseus reached his peak first, surging into Artemisia with a choked gasp and holding himself inside her as he poured his seed into her depths. The slightly tightened hold on his length triggered Leontius' climax, and he held himself against Artemisia's hip, shuddering as he spilled himself against their skin. Artemisia finally cried out a scream, her body convulsing between them as she reached her gasping completion.

                They sank down onto the bed in a tangled heap of limbs and salty skin, holding each other close as they caught their breath. Elefseus extracted himself from Artemisia and reached down for the closest piece of cloth. Leontius held Artemisia as she moaned softly while Elefseus cleaned their mixed pleasure from her thighs, and Leontius' seed from their skin.

                The night was warm enough that they did not need to clothe themselves again, and although the single bed was a tight fit, none of them seemed to be willing to relocate. The two men cradled Artemisia between them, Elefseus' lips pressed to her forehead while Leontius buried his face into her hair.

                "This time, I find myself being the one to thank you," Leontius chuckled, although Artemisia had already drifted off before she could hear it.

                "You're welcome, Prince," Elefseus replied, Artemisia's smile lifting his lips.

                Leontius blinked in surprise, but smiled and nodded his acquiescence. Pulling himself closer to Artemisia, his hand touching Elefseus' arm where it had been similarly hooked over her body, he finally fell into slumber.

  



End file.
